1. Food Security: Bridging the Urban-Rural Divide As cities
expand, so does the urban demand for food. The recent food and
financial crises have highlighted the problem of urban food
insecurity in developing but also developed countries. Many urban
households have been hard hit as they saw their purchasing power
declining drastically, while they have if any a very limited
capacity to produce their own food. Feeding expanding urban
populations is therefore a critical key issue at local and national
but also global levels to address the right to food and to
contribute to a sustainable city. It will help reduce the risk of
social unrest and conflict. Satisfying the food needs of expanding
urban markets and promoting nutritious and healthy diets of urban
households can function as an engine of economic and social
development in rural communities as well as being a key element in
creating markets for local producers, food supply actors,
processors and vendors, articulated with national and global
markets. Specific attention needs to be given to the links that
connect urban and rural communities, shape the economic
relationships between them and determine how land, water, forestry
and other natural resources are shared and used for a sustainable
development. Moreover, immediate answers have to be proposed for
emergency responses in cases of natural disasters or conflicts also
in a framework of local development. There is an urgent need to
ensure that cities, each with its specificities, are included on
the agenda of food and agriculture policy makers, planners and
institutions. Likewise, it is equally urgent to integrate food
security and agriculture into the agenda of city planners and local
urban authorities. Urban-rural linkages have to be analysed from a
social, economical and environmental perspective. By addressing
thematics that go beyond the food production issue, the event would
be a critical step in setting up multi-stakeholder platforms, with
international organisations, national and regional representatives
and related sectoral expertise aimed at developing a coherent and
holistic approach. Agenda Action - Presentation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Introduction Presentation of Brazilian experience of FAO
(Fortaleza) Local Food and Marketing : Urban Markets as urban
bridges Natural Resources - a Continuum between Rural and Urban
Areas : Example of Forestry Urban planning and local agriculture:
example of Paris region Emergency and food crisis situation -
Proposals and Priorities Question session Concluding remarks /
wrap-up What follows up : - Tools: capitalization on an open
internet website? - Projects? Time (min) 5 10 10 10 10 10 30 10
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